The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-04
READING FOR THE SABBATH.

Sundsy-School Lesson for Dec. II, 1887.
PARABLE OF THE TAREs.-Matt xiii. 24-8o.
Golden Textile harvest is the end of the world,
and the reapers are the angeis-Matt- xiii, 80.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday-Natt xiii $3.50. Parable of the tares
Tuesday-Matt. xiii 3t-43. Parable explained.
Wednesday-Mark xvi, 1920. The world, the
field.
Friday-Rev. xiv. 1920. The great harvest.
Saturday-Mal iv, 10. Burning the tares.
Sunday-Matt Ill 1-12. The wheat garnered.
The parallels are not only full of rich spirit
ual instruction for true disciples who have ears
to hear, not only a depth of meaning that each
man and each age must discover for their own
need, but they are in many cases prophetic In
the time of Christ many supposed that the
Messiah would appear mighty copquering
king, and that quick, sharp, triumphant con
flict would establish his kingdom and SO brig
in tie happy lookedfor days. Jesus puts In
these PARALLELS the true teach ing; his kingdom IS
a thing of growt tn rather than of conquest; there
are enemies sowing the evil seed; 1t Will require
a long time to secure the universal triumph or
the new religion; but it will tOme at last These
things are largely hidden in the parable but
made plain by the Holy Spirit.
It is evident that these seven parallels grouped
here together were all spoken within two DAYS,
possibly on one day. The parable OF the sower
spoken from the boat to the multitude.
Then the disciples asked him the m Gaming of it.
and it is probable that there on the boat he ex
planned IT, AS Andrewes says: BY Withdraw
ing a little from the shore they wonld be strictly
alone" After this explanation OF the sower, he
then gives the people the parable of The tares
and wheat" 1.-The mustard seed, and 1.-The
leaven." Then leaving the BOAT and going to the
house he x2lains to his disci pies the parable of
the tares, and follows it wit the new ones OF
1.-The hid treasure "The pearl" and The net"
THE APPLICATION.
The great force of this lesson should be ap
piled to the unconvertsd and unsaved. 1t will
incidentally and naturally lead the young to the
serious question, Whose side / really onf'
and it may lead some merely nominal disciple to
become a true and genuine Christian. We draw
from the lesson:
L. The personality and wickedness OF the
devil. He is really and always against God
2 Every good gift of sod is given in the
seed and is TO be developed. We have most of
our prayers for fruit answered by gift of seed
that il we plant and watch will give us the fruit
we desire. So God gives conversions, reforms.
revvals, in the germ.
8. The fact that tares and wheat look SO
TO be very careful that neither In the end turn
out to be tares.
4. Christians not here TO act as the judges
of other men, but TO grow fruit Christ will
take care of the judgment day, and bring it in
His own good time Let us do the good, les Him
be the judge.
s. Sin has fearful final penalty, and moth
ing but the most terrible words used to de-
scribe it. There be greater folly than
the effort to show that they do not mean what
they teach.
6. When there is dearth of piety there is
often q hot zeal for purifying the church by cut
ting down its numbers though there were
some virtue in expellng men for their neglect of
duty. It is better that Cbrist's law be observed.
the tares than by their uprootng, IS it is usu-
ally done.